Schools all across the country not only fall short on promises of free expression and academic freedom but openly suppress constitutionally protected speech on campus by using tools such as speech codes to shut down forms of expression that might be uncomfortable, disagreeable, or even offensive to some members of the campus community.

I'm not sure what "Christian principles" the committee is referring to, but when it comes to the collected works and thoughts of Madison and Jefferson, I move that we go with the Bill of Rights over some nebulous, assumed principles. But that's just me.

As we witness yet again the brutal and bloody consequences of religious intolerance in the form of ISIS, we have a majority of Republicans pining for a Christian America. Proponents of converting the United States into a theocracy do not see the terrible parallel between religious excess in the Middle East and here at home.

The State of Florida wishes to suppress a long-respected voice of dissent and social justice by targeting arguably "dangerous" content in the advertisements. By prohibiting the advertisement of lawful endeavors everyone should take pause and ask: what are they afraid of?

news organizations, social media and internet services have editorial discretion -- protected by the first amendment--to deny ISIS access to their audiences. To the extent they do so, more power to them. They are acting responsibly, in my opinion.

Interested in academic freedom? If so, you should read Stanley Fish's new book, Versions of Academic Freedom: From Professionalism to Revolution. I hasten to add that you should disagree with much of it, and you probably will.

After the murderous attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, one might wonder whether a newspaper that published the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in the United States would be protected by the First Amendment. The government might make two primary arguments in support of a law prohibiting the publication of the cartoons.

Memorable phrases that capture the popular imagination are commercially worth millions of dollars. Consequently, it is no surprise that Taylor Swift has trademarked a variety of phrases from her songs.

I have a strong, healthy dose of self-esteem. This is fortunate because recently there has been a steady stream of damaging messages coming from the media, politicians and religious leaders. There are plenty of voices proclaiming that there is something wrong with me.

I believe that we can expect threats to freedom of speech to get worse as human beings are likely to expect not just greater physical comfort as time goes by, but greater "intellectual comfort" as well.

The attack on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo has ignited a number of conversations about free speech. Unfortunately most of the media people who talk about free speech either don't understand it or intentionally mislead their viewers.

Charlie Hebdo could be published in the United States. But what if it were distributed in schools or assigned for students to read? Is uncivil speech protected by the First Amendment? This is a question not so easily answered. The short answer is this: In general, yes; but in education, no.

All we will accomplish is an environment where prejudice and hatred fester and grow in the shadows, and where extremists use incitement as an excuse for their atrocities (at least in their propaganda). It shouldn't be hard to see why this is a bad idea.

If you aren't familiar with ag-gag laws, think of them as anti-whistleblower laws, criminalizing the act of photographing abuses on agriculture facilities or slaughterhouses. Six states have successfully passed these laws.

The stakes for student speech in Keefe and Oyama are high. Like FIRE and other free speech watchdogs, students nationwide should hope that the First Amendment isn't expelled from professional programs at our public universities.

In our society, vulgarians like Larry Flynt and the murdered journalists of Charlie Hebdo are the vanguard who protect freedom of speech. They are the canary in the coal mine, whose death warns us of the unseen dangers gathering around us.